Cpm celebrates 90 years as a leading force in sales and field marketing worldwide

Cpm, an international agency specialising in sales outsourcing and customer experience solutions, celebrates 90 years since its foundation.

The origins

In 1936, long before the advent of supermarkets, shopping trolleys and self-service, all products were sold from behind the counter of local shops. At that time, Bede Egerton, founder of Cpm (an acronym for Counter Product Marketing), had an idea that was as simple as it was revolutionary: to equip brands with their own sales force to ensure product availability, visibility and performance in shops. An idea destined to change forever the way brands, retailers and consumers interact.

Born alongside independent shops, convenience stores and pharmacies, Cpm grew together with retail, accompanying it through every transformation. As retail outlets evolved – from small local shops to supermarkets, from department stores to food service and finally to modern sales channels – Cpm constantly adapted and developed its approach to support brands wherever consumers shop and interact with products.

Cpm today

Present in 33 markets, Cpm works with hundreds of clients, including some of the best-known and most established brands internationally, which are part of the daily lives of billions of consumers. Every year, it carries out more than 15 million visits to points of sale and 1,5 million days dedicated to demonstrations and sampling, engaging consumers at the moments that truly matter to their purchasing decisions and giving tangible expression to Cpm's mission of inspiring people to try, buy and love its clients' brands.

Today, Cpm supports brands throughout the entire customer journey, reaching consumers wherever they are, whenever and on every occasion when their choices can be influenced. The central element of its attibità is the Liquid Approach, a model that integrates strategy, data insight, technology and human talent in a dynamic and adaptive approach. Thanks to the Liquid Approach, Cpm identifies the highest-value opportunities for brands and dynamically configures the most effective sales and customer experience solutions to unlock new sales potential and generate efficiency and growth at every stage.

The comment

“Why celebrate 90 years of history? Because the future is fundamental, but so is remembering the journey that brought us here. The challenges we face today on behalf of our clients are not very different from those that inspired the creation of Cpm in 1936: fostering growth through better distribution, availability, visibility and impact of products at the point of sale", said Mike Hughes, ceo of Cpm International. "Ultimately, no business grows without sales, and over 90 years Cpm has built its reputation as a company 'famous for sales' through its constant ability to innovate and adapt to evolving client needs”.

30 years in Italy

On the occasion of the 90th global anniversary, Cpm is also celebrating its 30 years of presence in Italy and 40 years in Ireland, following the milestone of 50 years reached by CPM France two years ago.

Cpm began its operations in Italy in 1996, at a time when retail and consumer behaviour were undergoing a new and profound transformation. Points of sale were evolving from simple places of purchase into fully-fledged brand experience spaces, creating new opportunities to engage consumers and influence their purchasing choices. Over the past three decades, Cpm Italia has grown alongside the market, supporting Italian and international brands through some of the most significant transformations in the retail landscape.

“Our ability to integrate talent, market knowledge, data and technological innovation has enabled us to transform from an operational partner into a strategic partner, supporting brands through the challenges of an increasingly complex and dynamic environment", said Pierpaolo Bertocco, ceo of Cpm Italy. "This anniversary represents not only an important milestone, but also confirms the strength of a business model that continues to generate value through people, innovation and a deep understanding of retail, the market and consumers”.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.